Trackster Stories: Angela Pagliero

Angela Pagliero is a Calgary-based artist and early adopter of the Trackster platform. Using Trackster, Angela made the single “Take Me Home,” a melancholy and intimate ballad. We asked Angela to tell us her story.

How old were you when you started making music?
My mom said when I was a baby and started making sounds, she would sing random octaves to see if I would copy her—and, apparently, I did. My parents were talented young traveling musicians who took me on the road with them until I was about 5. I remember writing a couple of love songs with my dad when I was really young. However, I had never learned how to play an instrument, so making music intentionally did not come to my mind until I was in my 20s and started to play and collaborate with my father. Once I started using GarageBand on my iPad I was able to create songs independently—and I haven’t stopped since.

Who is your biggest musical influence?
OMG, do I have to narrow it to one person? Of course, I have to say my parents definitely were a big musical influence. I would say Sia is my #2 influencer. I bought her first CD from Starbucks more than a decade ago (when she used to have more of a pop-folk sound). I respect that she can create many different styles. Even though she may have fears or blocks, she works with them and around them very well. She’s brilliant.

From a fan perspective, I also love Feist, Coldplay, Lauryn Hill, Angus & Julia Stone, and the late Lhasa de Sela. These artists make me “feel” their music and are very inspiring. From an original, business-style perspective, I absolutely admire Kandi Burruss and Enya—and Sia.

What’s the biggest crowd you’ve played for?
The biggest crowd I have performed for (so far) was at the start of the gay pride parade in Calgary, several years ago—I sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Why did you use Trackster?
I am an electronic/virtual music maker, so I have profiles with a few music collaboration sites. I had never seen a music site that provided functions that hone music as a professional business.

When I first used Trackster I followed the how-to videos to complete my profile and add my individual tracks for the project “Take Me Home.” I was impressed by how seamless it was. I navigated the site to view the other capabilities; as a singer I was very intrigued with the professional music-transaction functions of being able to fulfill or request a music “order,” and also being able to place bids for my vocals using “SX.”

Which comes first in your songwriting process: the lyrics or the music?
It really varies. Even though I don’t play an instrument, sometimes I do hear the music for a song in my head before I know the vocal melody. Songs often come to me out of the blue, even waking me up in my sleep. I need a fully charged phone to record at any given moment. If I don’t record what comes, it’s a snooze-you-lose situation.

How did “Take Me Home” come to be?
My husband had taken me to Bali for our anniversary. I can be a homebody, so I was surprised when Bali actually felt like a second home to me. After we got back, while getting back into everyday life I was having boho-Bali-bliss flashbacks. I was unemployed and for the first time I was wholeheartedly looking to find my place in the music industry. I was peaceful yet full of emotion. Intuitively, I felt everything was parallel. “I want to BE the place I call home” was the strongest message and goal for me at that time. To be centred, stable, gentle, loving, honest . . . to be at home with myself . . . no matter what my circumstances are, and no matter where I am.